Gretchen Rossi and Alexis Bellino haven’t been cast members on The Real Housewives of Orange County for the past five seasons, but the two women are still involved in the drama. Rossi and her longtime boyfriend, Slade Smiley, have agreed to testify against Shannon Beador and Tamra Judge on behalf of Alexis’ ex-husband, Jim Bellino.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Jim filed paperwork on Monday, September 25, claiming he was contacted by Smiley, 44, who told him he and Rossi, 39, want to help him in his lawsuit against Beador, 54, and Judge, 51.
Jim, 56, said in the documents Smiley told him the couple will “provide testimony regarding the anger, hostility and ill-will that Defendants harbor with respect to Bellino.”
Smiley also allegedly told Jim he and Rossi can provide evidence that “the Defendants have a pattern of making up stories to create notoriety for themselves in the media,” per the docs.
Jim, who split from Alexis after 13 years of marriage in June, filed a lawsuit against Judge and Beador for more than $1 million in July. The businessman previously claimed in a cease and desist letter in June that the two Bravo personalities made “morally corrupt” comments and him and his relationship with Alexis.
“He was very crusty … I almost sent her a message saying, ‘I’m so sorry,’ but then you sent me that text saying ‘Do you think that he’s trying to protect her? Do you think possible that he’s in trouble and she can’t testify against him if he’s in trouble,’” Judge said about Jim during an appearance on Heather McDonald’s live “Juicy Scoop” podcast in June.
Multiple blogs also reported at the time that Beador alleged “people get paralyzed” at Jim’s trampoline park business and Judge said she had a “theory” he was “going to jail.”
The Blast, who broke the news about Rossi and Smiley, reported earlier this month that Beador and Judge both filed responses to Jim’s lawsuit, asking for the case to be dismissed.
While Beador never technically appeared on RHOC alongside Rossi and Alexis — she joined the cast in season 9 after their departures — Judge had a tumultuous relationship with Rossi, Smiley and Alexis and Jim during their time on the series.
